ed around herself, shivering violently. The silence of the penthouse was deafening. Down the hall, she could h

s already beginning to blister, a physical brand of

real voice. Someone who would

fingers. She dialed the number she had known by hea

ella? Do you have any

p, but there was an edge to it. An anno

n holding back broke free, choking her. "Mom

expected. Not the horrified denial. Just a heavy, suf

was kissing her. In our be

ear. Awake. And completely devoid of sympathy. "Estella, yo

ars stopping abruptly

sighed, the sound crackling through the speaker

e sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, the matt

rad are meant to be together. You were always just the interim. The p

asting like ash in her mouth. "You let me mar

"You fulfilled your duty to this family. The Lowes needed the Ni

a hot, sickening anger in her chest. "He's cheating o

, Estella? You're not exactly exciting. You don't have Jana's drive or her

ped. She could almost feel the sting on

support for his business. Jana needs this marriage to secure her s

issed, the meals she had cooked, the money she had given Doug without q

commanded. "No drama, no lawsuits. Just take w

ounded hollow and brittle. "You want me t

. "You haven't worked a day in your life. You should be grateful he's giving you

ne wen

phone. The reflection staring back at her

g for a lifeline, and her mother

ed for when you lose something of value. And her family, she now understood, had never truly been hers to begin with. A strange calm settled over her. The shaking stopped. T

ser. The woman in the reflection looked broken, but

sn't going to beg. She wasn't g

mpty room. "If I have no famil